Radio reflecting and low drag tow target



April 29, 1947.

J. W. GRIESINGER ETAL RADIO REFLECTING AND LOW DRAG TOW TARGET Filed Aug. 24, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 pril 29, 1947- J. w. GRIESINGER EIAL a 2,419,549

RADIO REFLECTING AND LOW DRAG TOW TARGET Filed Aug. 24, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNITED OFFlCE RADIO REFLECTING AND LOW DRAG row TARGET John W. Griesinger, Dayton, Ohio, and Hymen Goldstein, Fairlawn, N. .1.

Application August 24, 1944, Serial No. 551,046

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-1053) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 1 2 The invention described herein may be manuto be foldable together; and the invention com-- factured and used by or for Government for govprises towing means 1 connected in bridle ernmental purposes, without the payment to arrangement to these bodies or strips so that us of any royalty thereon. during launching they will be automatically This invention relates to tow targets, and more 5 drawn into a spread-apart position with the particularly to aerial trailers to be towed behind strips placed normal to each other, as illustrated.

airplanes and used as radio reflecting targets. These bodies or strips 5 and 6 are readily con- One of the main objects of this invention is to structed by the use of a pair of tubular metal provide a tow target which will produce eflicient members Band 10 which provide tow bars at the reflection of radar beams, comparable to an 10 leading part of the body and are pivotally conactual aircraft, and is especially adapted for use nected by a bolt ll extending thru the central for anti-aircraft gun laying purposes and other parts of said members. Each member has the radar applications. mesh material l2 mounted thereon, which is of Another object of this invention is to provide meshed wire or of such material as to efficiently a tow target which comprises intersecting planes l5 reflect radar waves; and for the present purpose that can be compacted or folded together and we preferably use cotton covered wire mesh maalso launched in the same manner as the ordinary terial having its meshes so dimensioned that the tow target, such as the single plane target or the distance between the companion wires of a mesh sleeve target, and which i furthermore equipped is a function of the radar wave length, the meshes with tow cables so arranged that by the launchbeing preferably spaced 16 to the inch, thereby ing operation the intersecting planes will assuring maximum reflection of radar waves. promptly unfold and assume operative spread- This material [2 has its forward end portion apart positions. doubled over and secured in position by suitable Another object of this invention is to provide stitching l3 to provide a broad hem or pocket a target which presents the same projected area M for receiving the bar therein, while the rear as the present sleeve target having the same end of the body of material may be strengthened over-all dimensions, but which presents considerby hemming it and securing it by stitching l5. ably less drag resistance than such sleeve target, The central hem portion of the front hem I4 of thus providing a low drag target allowing higher body 5 is cut away to provide an opening [6 towing speed. where the front part of body 6 intersects the A more particular object of this invention is to same, and the exposed edges are preferably reinprovide such a tow target comprising two interforced with cotton tape l8 secured thereover, as secting flag-type strips of wire mesh material shown in Fig. 1. which will reflect radar waves efilciently and will One of the bars, and as shown herein the bar also provide semi-rigidity and thereby a low drag 5 is provided With p 5 r et ers I thereresistance, and which strips are equipped with a on to limit the unfolding movement of bar Ill bridle arrangement of towing cables for autorelative to bar 9, so that the tow bars in the matically spreading the planes during launching unfolded position are spread apart and placed to assume a position normal to each other. substantially normal to each other, while the stop Other objects andadvantages are att with lugs ll enable the bars 9. and ill along with their tms mventlon' J W become apparent the bodies of mesh material to be folded against each following description taken in connection with other into aflat position the accompanying drawings wherein this invention is shown ina preferred form of construction. The tow cable means 1 m thls mventlon 1S arranged and connected with the two bodies in i g i i i s iie elevational view of our radio .Style which is herein termed and is known as reflecting tow target shown in its unfolded, operbndle arrangement or bndle forma:tlon; and ative position. herein this cable means comprises a pair of cables Fig. 2 is an end elevational view thereof. connected to a p ir of eyes 19 provided adja- Our invention comprises a plurality of concent the e of a d eXteIlding t0 nected planar bodies or flag-type strips of matem i te ral with a loop 2 at the forward end rial adapted to reflect radar waves efiiciently, in of the cable means. This cable means also comthe same manner as an aircraft, and in the prises a pair of cables 2| which are connected drawing this is shown as comprising two interto said pair of eyes [9 and extend therefrom slidsecting bodies or stripsi'iandiiwhich aremounted ably thru a pair of eyes 22 provided adjacent the ends of bar It), and thence continue to and are made integral with the front loop 20.

It should be noted that each of the cables 2| is slightly longer than either of the cables l8, by the length of cable 2| which extends between eye l9 and eye 22 when the target is unfolded, as shown in Fig. 2; so that the length of the slanting cable l8 which extends from eye H] to loop 20 will equal the length of the slanting main part of cable 2| which extends from eye 22 to loop '20. In this manner of bridle arrangement of the tow cables, when the device is launched from the plane in its usual rolled-up position it will unroll and the cables will automatically draw the ,pivotally joined bars 9 and I and spread them apart into the operative or crossed position,'.whereby the planar bodies will be spread apart and placed normal to each other, in the position shown in the drawing.

One of the bars, the bar 9 as shown herein, is provided with a-weig'ht 23 at its outer end, so that this bar and the str'ip of mesh material extending flag-type therefrom will assume a substantially vertical position during operation, while the bar Ill with its flag-type strip of mesh material will assume a substantially horizontal position, as the tow target trails behind the traveling airplane.

This device is readilyfolded together by superposing the pair of flag-type strips and rolling up'from the rear or tail end, and the bridle lineszareffoldedunder the last roll to prevent entanglingduring launching, with the loop 21] left attending from theila'st roll. The target can then be readily launched from the airplane and tnru the bridle arrangement of the'cables the two strips will thereby automatically assume the unfolded;

operative position normal tole'ach other, with the strip :vertical and the strip I5 horizontal, and loop flflwv'illlbe alined withithe-central axis of the target While it is towed by :the aircraft, thus producing :a readily mperable low drag tow target providing a. highly :eflicient reflecting surface for radar-beams.

We claim:

.L :A tow target comprising two flagtype bodies "including :frame means pivotally connected to be foldable together, 'wire mesh material secured to said frame means and connected along the longitudinal middle line providing intersecting bodies capable of reflecting radar waves, towing means including two pairs of cables, one pair being longer than the other, said cables being joined at the front ends and each pair having its rear ends connected to the outward parts of one of said frame means, the longer pair also extending slidably through means on the outward parts of the opposite frame means, whereby the bodies will be drawn apart from the folded position to a position normal to each other during launching,

and means to limit the unfolding movement of the bodies when normal to each other.

2. A radio reflecting tow target comprising two flag-type bodies including a pair of front bars pivotally connected at the central points to enable folding the bodies together, Wire mesh material secured at its leading edge on each bar and extending flag-type therefrom, said mesh material being joined along the longitudinal middle line to provide intersectingbodies and the meshes being spaced relatively closely for eificiently refleeting radar Waves, towing means including a long pair and a short pair of cables joined into a loop at the front and each pair having the rear ends connected to the end parts of one of the bars, with the cables of the longer pair also extending slidably through means on the end parts of the other bar, stop means on the bars to limit their unfolding movement when normal to each other, thus providing a bridle arrangement to draw the bodies normal to each other during launching, and a weight on an end of one of-Said bars toposition its body in a vertical plane during the towmg -operation.

JOHN W. GRIESINGER.

HYMEN GOLDSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,216,776 Hoffman Oct. 8, 1940 2,238,875 Manson Apr. 15, 1941 2,270,884 Manson Jan. 27, 1942 634,386 Zimmerman Oct. 3, 1899 

